Saturday, July 29, 2017

It’s been a while since I’ve mentioned new books, and you
guys have been more than patient. But all that's about to change . . .

There’s a new book on the horizon, and it’s closer than you might think. But this one's definitely not one of my everything’s-off-the-page YA’s of the past. In fact, you might wanna hide this one from the kids.

This book’s
a little more . . . how do I put this? R-rated!

That’s right, I’m kicking it up a notch.

On August 27th I’m finally releasing my first contemporary romance novel, UNDRESSED. It’s the first installment in The Men of West Beach
series, and these aren’t your average boys next door.

And just check out this gorgeous cover . . .

If you’ve read any of my books, you know how much I love
kissing, so I’m super excited to be making this leap--I can’t wait to share
these books with you!

And to kick off my whole new series, I have a brand new website too! Head on over to see why I’m so in love with it…and while you're there, sign
up for my newsletter so you can keep up to date with the latest news on
releases, giveaways, and exclusive excerpts.

It’s been hard to keep this news a secret, but now that it’s
out, I’ll be spamming you like crazy! It’s only a month away, you guys! ONE MONTH until
my steamy romance will finally be out in the world. And I hope you love
reading it half as much as I loved writing it, because the second book is
already finished and will be out before the holidays!

Preorder here (and if you're a Kindle Unlimited member, you can read it for the super low price of FREE!)

Thursday, November 17, 2016

Back in 2011, I toured with a group of amazing women for the Smart Chicks Kick It Tour. Prior to the tour, Kelley Armstrong and Melissa Marr came up with the brilliant idea for the authors to contribute to an anthology in order to offset the costs
of our tour. The theme for the stories was “road trips.”

At the time, I was
still working on the second novel in the Body Finder series, DESIRES OF THE
DEAD, and I was getting to know a new character named Rafe. I decided that Rafe
needed a backstory, preferably one that would haunt him forever.

And now, that short story, SKIN CONTACT, is available on Amazon for just $.99!

Sunday, August 28, 2016

I’ve been on a romance-y reading binge lately. I don’t know
what it is about them, but I can’t get enough.

Oh wait! I lied. I totally
know. It’s the kissing. And the schmexy times. And the superhot guys who are never wearing enough clothing.

Hell yeah!

So, because I’ve been so enamored, I thought I’d share some of my recent faves (in no particular order) with you
guys…you know, in case you were searching for some sexy summer (or anytime, really!)
reads:

Okay, so I can’t believe I've waited so long to read this, but
I literally cannot put it down. I’m not quite finished with it but I. AM. DYING!
Will they or won’t they? I think we all know they will, but come on already!!!!

Holy hockey pucks! This is the first of a series based on
the collegiate men of hockey, and these guys could literally melt ice rinks.
Elle writes snarky, smart, and superhot characters that will totally have you
squirming in your seat!

Hoover is the master of all the feels. I’ve read, and loved,
SLAMMED and HOPELESS, but she takes UGLY LOVE to a whole new level of gut-wrenching.
Plus, there are sexy pilots with baggage (see what I did there? Pilots? Baggage?).
Okay, okay, all joking aside. Download this one. Stat.

Like Hoover, Jordan is another of my go-to authors. I’ve
read her young adults, her historicals, and now I’m obsessed with her Devils
Rock series. It’s basically Prison Break (you remember the TV show, with the
hunky guys behind bars?), only with a lot more sex. And damn…the sex.

This is like Twister, if Twister were a romance. Lee writes
amazing action scenes and even more amazing kissing scenes. She deals with some
pretty weighty issues with a deft hand, and manages to steam up the pages while
keeping things pretty PG-13.

Armentrout has mastered YA, paranormal, and contemporaries.
WAIT FOR YOU is proof that we all need a cookie-baking hottie living across the
hall from us. Even better if he wants to do dirty things with you, am I right?
Of course I’m right!

Okay, so I’m messing with you. You can’t actually get this
until October, but let me just tell you, you should definitely preorder THE
LOVELY RECKLESS. (Or see the end of this post, because I have one to give away!!!)

This is Garcia’s first foray into straight-up romance…and man
did she crush it! Street racing, undercover sting operations, and oh-my-god
kissing scenes! This is one you can read and then pass on to your (older) teen
daughter/sister/neighbor. Or even your mom. Just sayin’

WHEW! That is a LOT of title! So there was a time when I gobbled
up historical romances, didn’t matter which kind—Regency, Scottish highland,
pirate ship adventures, I wasn’t choosy as long as there was an accent and a
Fabio-esque model on the cover. MacLean’s books satisfy my historical itch. NINE
RULES has it all—a girl disguised as a man, dueling, fancy gowns, and a whole
lotta kissing! I think it should be a rule that we have to read historical
romances while wearing tiaras and sitting on fainting couches.

I haven’t read this one in a while, but if I remember right—and
I most certainly do because this book is seared into my brain with its
awesomeness—these two went at it like cats and dogs. You know, if cats and dogs
had an unholy attraction to each other. There were frat parties and bar fights
(lots of fights, really), gambling and drama up the wazoo. And I, for one,
could not get enough! These two were destined to be together, they were just
the last to realize it.

Okay, so now that I've shared my faves, you can share too...and win!

I have an ARC of Kami Garcia's THE LOVELY RECKLESS and signed copies of the first two books in Sophie Jordan's Devils Rock series, ALL CHAINED UP and HELL BREAKS LOOSE for one lucky winner. All you have to do is enter the Rafflecopter below!

Tuesday, March 29, 2016

Ifyou've never YA Scavenger Hunted before, then you've been missing out! This is the hunt to end all hunts. Prizes, fancy YA authors, bonus material, and cool puzzles to solve. And did I mention prizes? Because, yeah, there are prizes to be had, on an EPIC SCALE!!!

If you've made it this far, I probably don't need to explain how this whole thing works. But I will tell you that hunt runs from Tuesday, March 29th through Sunday, April 3rd. (That's not a lot of time if you plan to enter ALL the giveaways!)

So here's how it works:

Each author on the hunt is hosting another author's bonus material (mine is out there somewhere, you just have to track it down), along with a link to the next step of the hunt.

At each step, you not only get access to that exclusive content, but you'll also collect another "clue" for the hunt. (In this case, the clues are number that you'll add up in the end.) Add up the clues and you can enter for our team's prize--one lucky winner will receive all the signed books for that team! But play fast, the contest and all the exclusive bonus material will only be available for 72 hours.

I'm TEAM RED, but there are SO MANY OTHER TEAMS, which means more prize packs you can enter to win.

Still confused? Don't worry, if you get stuck head on over to the YA SCAVENGER HUNT page for the official rules and instructions.

(Unofficial) SCAVENGER HUNT Instructions:

Below, you'll notice that I've listed my favorite number somewhere. Collect all the author's favorite numbers for TEAM RED (these are the "clues" I was talking about), and then add them up (don't be embarrassed to use a calculator!).

Then ENTER to win by filling out the form here. Only the entries that have the correct number will qualify.

Fine Print: Open internationally, anyone below the age of 18 should have a parent or guardian's permission to enter. To be eligible for the grand prize, you much complete the entry form by Sunday, April 3rd at noon Pacific Time. Entries without the correct number or without contact information will not be considered.

SCAVENGER HUNT POST

Today, I'm hosting the Kay Honeyman. Kay Honeyman grew up in Fort Worth,
Texas and attended Baylor University, graduating with a Bachelors and Masters
in English Language and Literature. Her first novel, THE FIRE HORSE GIRL,
came
out in January 2013. It was published by Arthur A. Levine/Scholastic. Her next
book INTERFERENCE comes out in Fall 2016. She currently teaches middle school
and lives in Dallas, Texas.

About Kay's book, INTERFERENCE:

As a Congressman’s daughter
in Washington, D.C., Kate Hamilton always pushes to make things right. But when
a scandal sends her family to Red Dirt, Texas, she decides to step back for a
while. She’ll take pictures for her portfolio. She’ll learn something about
football. And most of all, she’ll stay out of politics (including her father’s
new campaign), and away from guys (especially after her ex’s betrayal).
But, if Kate’s political skills can be useful in Red Dirt, should she really
let them go to waste? After all, her friend Ana Gomez and quarterback Kyle
Stone would be a perfect match. Her dad’s election could benefit from a younger
perspective. The irritatingly handsome Hunter Price should learn he doesn’t
know everything. . . . But Kate’s own feelings for him may teach her the
biggest lesson of all.

I dropped three bottled waters and
a bag of potato chips on the counter between the cashier and the girl who was
yelling at him.

“Most boyfriends take their
girlfriends out once in awhile.”

The cashier picked up his phone and
checked the screen. “We go out.”

“I need to pay for these,” I said.

“We’ve been dating three months,
and we’ve gone out twice,” the girl snapped at him.

“I don’t have money,” the cashier
said.

“I have money. To pay for these.” I
pushed the bottles closer.

“You had enough money to go to
Lubbock with your cousin last weekend.”

I looked out the window. Mom was
still in the passenger seat, digging through her purse. Dad was pumping gas. I
didn’t have much time. “I’m kind of in a hurry.”

“It’s not like I don’t have
options,” she continued. “Gabe called the whole time you were out of town.”

The cashier started scanning my
items. “Next time, tell him I say hi.”

The girl balled her fists. Her
purse smacked against the candy rack, sending packages flying as she spun and
stormed out the door.

The guy didn’t flinch. “Anything
else?” he asked me, pulling a plastic bag from under the counter.

“I need to use your phone.”

“Sorry. No pay phone. There’s one
at the gas station two exits east.”

I smiled. “No. I need to use your
phone.”

The guy tipped his chin to the
right, an early sign that he was going to say no.

“It’s an emergency,” I added.

“You’re calm for someone who is in
the middle of an emergency.”

“I’m very good in a crisis.”

He crossed his arms over his chest.
“You’re not using my phone.”

Refusals were tricky to undo, but
not impossible. “Fine, we’ll go a different direction.” I leaned over the
counter and locked my eyes with his. “You’re going to let me use your phone
because someday your girlfriend will be stranded in some nowhere town and need
to tell you something life-changing.” His eyes remained empty. “The test
results came in.” Nothing. “She found your dog.”

“Tucker?” the cashier said.

Bingo. “She needs to call you to
tell you that Tucker is okay. She wants you to know where to pick him up.
Wouldn’t you want someone to loan her a phone?”

“Is your dog in trouble?” the
cashier asked.

I looked over my shoulder. I needed
to move this along before I got caught. “My cheating ex-boyfriend posted
humiliating pictures of me online. My school hates me. My parents blame me for
Dad’s nose-dive in the polls. And my college future is in the toilet.”

“Man, what a week. And now your
dog.” He slid his phone to me.

I skipped the gratitude and dialed
Tasha’s number.Man, I love sneak previews (and this one looks AH-mazing)!

In order to enter the contest for your chance to win you need to know that my favorite number is 4. Add up all the other favorite numbers on TEAM RED and you'll have the secret code to enter for the grand prize!!

And because I love the hunt (and giveaways), I've decided to give you an extra chance to win by hosting an ADDITIONAL, and completely separate giveaway right here! All you need to do is fill out the Rafflecopter below, and boom! you're entered for signed set of THE TAKING and THE REPLACED, along with some super sweet swag.

Sunday, March 6, 2016

If you know anything about me, you might have guessed I’m
not a great secret keeper. In fact, keeping secrets makes me want to explode! So for the past few months I’ve been pretty quiet about what I’ve been working
on because I’ve had one of those secrets, and rather than risk blurting it out, it’s
easier to just keep my giant trap shut.

We have no idea who will be illustrating our picture book babies, but what we can say is that Shelli
and I are crazy excited to be working with Virginia Duncan at Greenwillow. And
we can’t wait to share our feisty, science-loving girl with all of you!

Wednesday, October 7, 2015

Remember that thing where Read For Pixels had a perk where you could pay $400 dollars to be a character in my next (not-yet-announced!!!) book? Well, forget that!

Read For Pixels just made it a gajillion times easier! How, you ask?

E-A-S-Y. All you have to do is go to this link and create an account (or log in if you're already an Indiegogo member), donate $5 to this AMAZING cause, and then start referring your friends. The person with the most referrals wins!